Salty Dog
by MinstrelBoy
Summary: InuYasha has only two reminders of his father, a motorcycle and a gun. When Kikyo enters his life, he will learn why.
1. Default Chapter

Howdy folks, this is the prequel to my other story, The Awsomely Metal IY Biker Fic. found at http:adultfan. this story talks about IY and Kikyo met, and all sorts of fun stuff.

Yeah I own, IY, totally.

As usual, InuYasha walked to school alone. He checked his watch. He'd be a little late, but eh, first period was english. Like he really needed to know useless shit like semi colons, and when to use "have" instead of "of".

Ten minutes late, he strolled into class. Mrs. Eichenold gave him the usual glance he got. He had seen it plenty of times in her talent-going-to-waste and why-don't-you-try speeches. As always, he took his seat in the back of the class and proceeded to ignore it all. No need to fill up his brain with this shit. None of it mattered to him.

As the old hag rambled on InuYasha let his eyes roam the room. New desk agaist the wall. They'd be getting a new kid probably tomorrow. Eh. High school started next year. The new kid would probably go to a Catholic or private school to avoid the public schools. InuYasha wouldn't even have to know their name. Eventually, the bell rang and InuYasha was the first out the door to

avoid a discussion about him being late. Three more periods 'til lunch.

Lunch and InuYasha relaxed in his chair with a roast beef some one was foolish enough to leave unguarded. He had tried to pay attention in math and science, he really did. He used to be good at 'em, before he realized it was bullshit in the long run. But hey, there are more interesting things to think about. There had been an extra desk in all his classes, so he would being seeing alot of the new kid. Already InuYasha didn't like him. Not that he liked anybody, but he had a special dislike for this guy.

He kicked his feet up on the table and looked around. He sat alone at his own table in the back, scanning for food people left unattended. No such luck, oh well. The sandwich was more than he usually got. The bell rung again it was time for gym.

As he crossed the gym floor to the locker room InuYasha cracked his knuckles and steeled his gaze. It was gonna be an ugly day. He could tell.

"So, do the yellow eyes help ya see in the dark?" A voice called out as soon as there were no teachers about. "Shut it faggot." "You're one to talk, they dye your hair down at Pual Michel's?" "Go fuck your self." "don't feel too bad, with the amount of contacts and freaks with goofy hair now-a-days you'll fit in somewhere. Just not here freak." InuYasha split his knuckle almost to the bone on the kid's front teeth.

Blowing off detention yet again, InuYasha walked home along the train tracks alone. He might no be able to fit in, but he could make damn sure no one got in his face about. That had to of been the third kid this year to learn the hard way. Ah well, didn't matter to him if they insited on being punched out.

As he passed the bridge to the side of the river his house was on, InuYasha dropped down below the bridge and reached in his over sized leather jacket for a pack of smokes he had swiped from a convenience store. He had started for no other reason then men smoked. That's just the way it was. But he enjoyed the taste and the smell, and hey, if he got cancer, who lives forever anyway?

Twenty minutes later he was home. "Mama, I'm back" He cried opening the door. "About time, don't you know I worry about you?" "Sorry Ma." He headed for the fridge. His mother appered in the door as opened the fridge. "What happened to your hand InuYasha?" "It's okay ma, I took care of it." He said softly. She just looked at him in concern. "I know you worry, but I can take care of my self, alright?" He tried to reassure her. "Just try to be careful InuYasha." "Yes Ma."

Having not bothered to commit his homework to memory, InuYasha headed for the garage. He picked up a wrench and headed for the only project he cared about. Getting his dad's old Harley working. A year he had been working on this thing, figuring how it worked, then what didn't work, the how to fix it, then why his fixes didn't work, then how to fix it properly. Godamn piece of shit had to be 30 years old. And of course he didn't have the money to order brand new parts. InuYasha had a growing hunch in his mind that he would kill him self on this bike. Ah well, as long as it got finished. And he was dead before he realized it was broke again. Godamn piece of shit.

Just to spite him, the throttle valve snapped in two. InuYasha whipped the offending piece at a shelf, knocking a cigar box off. He winced when he saw what box it was. It hit the floor harmlessly. Good. No visit from the cops tonight then.

InuYasha straightened up and walked to pick up the cigar box. Inside, wrapped in rags, was the only other thing his father had left him. InuYasha reached in and removed the pistol from the rags. His father knew he wasn't going to be there, and was smart enough to know a woman living alone with two children unarmed was insanity. 'Course then his brother had left. That bastard...

Not for the first time InuYasha held it up to the light and read the slide. JERICHO 941. One day on a whim he had looked it up. It came all the way from Isreal and wasn't no Saturday night special. It had cost some money. Just what the hell did his dad do?

He let the gun hang at his side. The weight felt natural to him as he looked at the clock. Shit, it was later than he thought. Right, time for bed, and six hours of blissful sleep before another day of bullshit.

Through some mystery of life possibly related to the alignment of the stars and planets, InuYasha was not late the next day. He slid into his seat just as the bell rang, and looked around the room for the kid he popped in the mouth. In front of the class the teacher started introducing the new kid. Eh. not his concern. He found the kid, and smiled at his busted lip. He finally decided to get a look at the new kid. "Class, this is our new student" Holy shit she was gorgeous"Kikyo." 


	2. Somethin' More

InuYasha stared at the new girl. All he knew was that she was beautiful. Insticvly he tried to figure out what group she fell into. Dresses normal, not one of thos goth or punk retards. White girl, prolly not into rap. Didn't smile alot and make a big Godamn deal of her self. Not a prep, Lord knows they had enough of them. Was wearing worn in jeans and a simple white T-shirt. Most likely not very well off. 

She glanced over the class, then over at the corner where he sat at least a desk away from everyone else. She eyes passed over him. Not even a hint of suprise or shock. What the fuck? People were suprised by him, didn't just look at him like it was perfectly natural, that just ain't how it fucking works!

She took a seat next to him and one away from the rest of the class. Who the FUCK was this girl? Does she not know how things fucking work? People look at him, widen thier eyes in suprise, then avoid all contact with him. Not accepted his apperance as fact then sat down closer to him then anyone else! What the fuck are you thinkin' ya bitch?

A WEEK LATER

After fifteen minutes of walking the room looking for an opening, A/N: Bubble triva, right about here a screw in a my Godamn piece of shit chair broke and I ahve nothing to rest my back on. InuYasha returned empty handed to his table in the back corner. Unsuprisingly, Kikyo eating there with her back to the wall. InuYasha sat down silently and grumbled hungerly. After 10 minutes, InuYasha spoke the first words to pass between the two. "Ya know, you're really robbing me of alot of good targets." "You're just too slow InuYasha." She said casually, shoving half of some one else's sandwhich across the table to him.

What the HELL is with this bitch? Why is she being so Goddamn friendly? Alright enough of this.

"What the fuck is with you Kikyo? You talk to no one, you don't chat with the other girls or try to flirt with the boys, and most importantly why the fuck do you hang around me?" "Same reason you don't try to talk or socialize." "That's completly fucking differant!" "Is it?" she asked queitly, her eyes becoming clouded with memory.

InuYasha looked at Kikyo in a new light. Maybe there was more to her than he thought...

A YEAR LATER

InuYasha spit as he left the autoshop building. No reason, it was just tradition. Everyone who exited the building spit into the grass. The folks in autoshop were cool, they couldn't give a shit if you had three heads, much less odd colored eyes and hair, as long as you shut the fuck up and watched Sports Center like everyone else. As he entered the front door the TO (Traunt Officer) jerked his thumb at the metal detector. As usual, everyone set off the alarm, and as usual, the TO didn't give a shit. And as usual, no one bothered to take off thier jackets as they headed for class. And they said this was a bad school. Well a guy getting shot in the parking lot could give off that vibe.

Next class was.. biology. The lunch. Good, only one period left. As he walked in C101 he examined the room. Usual gaggle of rap chicks, a couple guys that stood out in no way what so ever, and in a complete and utter shock, not one, but TWO other white people. In this case a thin guy in a Marines T-shirt and a girl with black hair who wasn't looking in his direction.As he headed for the back of class where the girl was sitting she turned around, and InuYasha found himself staring into a face he had almost given up hope on ever seeing again.

"Kikyo!" At the sound of his voice the girl turned and flashed a rare smile. He tossed his back pack over three rows of tables so it slammed into the back cabinet behind the last row before taking a stool beside Kikyo.

"Jesus! I thought you went to a private school after I didn't see you the first week." "I was sick, I see you haven't ditched that jacket yet.." "Please, keep your jealusy to your self." "Jealousy, over that piece of crap?" "Piece of crap? This, my friend, is Hien Gericke. Deisnged with bikers in mind." "Still haven't given up on your other piece of crap?" There conversation was in no way interuppted by the begining of the lesson.

As they suffled into the lunch room, Kikyo muttered under her breath to InuYasha. "Go find a table and make sure it stays empty. I'll go get us some food." InuYasha stared after the girl as she streched in front of table, bringing her fist down on some one's sandwhich. Damn, there was defidently something more to this chick he thought with a grin.

-

Remeber folks, I can't hear ya laugh/curse my soul/scream orgasmicly over the internet, leave a review! 


	3. Fuck school

Next chapter folks, enjoy.

And just to clear something up. I am a funcional illeterate. I was hired by the GOP to have a debate with Arnold to make him sound smarted by compersion. Please excuse my crap. I do try to spell check, but I am lazy and often pressed for time. That and my spell checkers usually arn't here, ignore me, or are drunk.

And remeber, this whole thing is a prequel to The Awsomely Metal InuYasha Biker Story, found at http:adultfan. flipped on the radio as he headed for the Harley. The defiant carburetor had been vanquished and he had moved on to the ignition system. He laid down on the mat and stuck his head under the bike, and stared up at her parts, following the fuel line from the tank, through the carburetor, and then into the cylinder. "Hey baby, miss me?" He asked aloud with a grin as he pulled the wire off the spark plug.

Three hours later, InuYasha, stained with grease and oil, opened the fridge in the garage and took out a beer. He leaned agiasnt the table and listened to the radio. When the song, Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Pride 'N' Joy" finished he flipped off the radio. and headed for the shower.

15 minutes later he wearly collasped on his couch. More of the same bullshit at school tommorow, but eh, he could manage it. 'Sides, he could talk with Kikyo. He allowed him self a quick smile and passed out.

The next morning he awoke 45 minutes before he had to leave. He got dressed, fell back asleep on the couch for an hour, then reluctantly got up, throwing on his jacket as his walked out the door. He didn't need it today, but eh.

He walked out the door and was stopped dead in his tracks. It was summer's last grasp at glory before fall came in full, and dammit, was a grasp it was. It had to be at least 70, the forest surrounding the tracks into the center of the town was still in full bloom, nothing but green. He could smell the grass and flowers from twenty feet away. A gentle breeze blew through his hair, tugging the the edges of his soul as if would rip it from his body. He couldn't be stuck in that school for eight hours. No way in hell. His soul would die.

Suddenly a plan hit him. He grinned and sprinted down the tracks, throwing his back pack in the house as he went.

Arriving in first period a mere half hour late he took his seat beside Kikyo. "8:30, earlier than usual. A train chase your ass down the tracks?" "Har har. Bitch. Anyway, just follow me after class." "Why?" "Follow me or enjoy seven more hours of this bullshit. Your call."

As he headed down the hall way more briskely than normal, Kikyo caught up to him. "Where are we headed to?" "The autoshop." "I don't take autoshop-" "Today you do." he interrupted. "Alright, if you say so."

InuYahsa pushed opened the matianced door by the autoshop, he took a quick look around. Good, only students. "Cmon" he told Kikyo behind him. He walked up to the chain link fence on the edge of the parking lot and effortlessly pulled him self up and over.

Kikyo landed gracefully behind him. "Alright InuYasha, what's your plan?" "Kikyo, this is one of the most beautiful days we will see in our lives. And I dunno about you, but I sure don't want to spend the best years of my life in a class room." Kikyo smiled briefly. InuYasha knew he had convinced her.

For the next couple hours they roamed around town, talking, enoying the day and living out there glory days the way God intended, away from the useless and opressive confines of a school.

Eventully they approched the corner with the gas station/convience store on it. InuYasha titled his head toward it. "Hungry?"

They strolled in nonchalantly, the guy at the station shot them a look, but didn't say a word about the obvious ditchers. InuYasha knew he would be following him with his eyes becuase of his apperance. InuYasha grinned. Well that's more time he won't spend watching Kikyo.

He headed for the snacks and candy bars. Kikyo for the chips and drinks. As he headed down the aisle Kikyo called his name. The attendant turned to the sound and InuYasha turned sharply, his arm swinging out to the side and his hand passing briefly over the Hershey bars. "Yeah?" "How much money you got on ya?" He passed his hand over his right back pocket before sticking it in his left pocket. "About two bucks. You?" "Three, we got enough for a couple sodas." "Right."

They headed up to the register. Above the window were the packs of smokes. As the teller looked down to count the change Inuyasha streched his arms above his head, bringing them down quickly so they flew behind him, then forward past his jacket pocket.

As they strolled out the door, InuYasha screwed the top of his Pepsi bottle and chuckled to him self. "Damn but that's fun. What did you get?" "Some chips and soda. You?" "Couple chocolate bars." They sat down on a bench and divvied up thier spoils before continuing down the road.

"Ya know Kikyo, I think we may be on to something here." "What's that?" "Beautiful day, don't have to do no work, don't have to stay in that damn school and put up with any of those idiots. Don't have to pay for food, well not like we did that anyway, but this way we got our pick of the litter. And we can roam where ever we please. Yeah I can do this once or all week."

"So.. same thing tommorow? They sure as hell won't call anyone at that school, they prolly won't even know we're gone." Kikyo asked. "Hell they're prolly glad I'm gone and they don't have to be polite to me. Not that they're ever polite." Kikyo was silent for a moment. "I got a better plan, why don't we just meet and avoid school altogether?" "I like that plan, how 'bout over at that overpass by the hill?" Being the town was flat as hell, when he said the hill, there was no confusion he meant THE hill. "7 o' clock?" Kikyo asked in agreement. "7 o clock." "So I'll see ya at eight then?" "Har har. Wise ass."

InuYasha looked around. So engorssed was he in thier plan he had failed to realize where his feet had lead him. He was back at the tracks, walking towards the bridge which he always smoked under. Well, either the bridge or home.

InuYasha slid down the rocks to the side of the tracks down to the dirt path that ran along the river the bridge passed over. He walked under the bridge. The concrete support for the bridge extended out from the slope, and there was enough room for some one to sit on to of it. InuYasha pulled him on top, and by the time he had situated himself agaist the back of the support where the concrete formed kind of a step, Kikyo was already up thier along side him.

The support was in the shade, looking out over the river, which under the bridge was shallow enough to glide over and around rocks. Light from above fell through the spaces in the tracks and lit up the water. The support jutted into the river so from where they were no one on the foot path could see them.

"Let's stop in the shade here for a little bit." InuYasha said. "Alright." Kikyo said rummaging through her bag and tossing a Pepsi to InuYasha before taking one her self. "So how's that piece of shit bike working for ya?"

It was past dark when the conversation finally died down. After several seconds of silence habit over took InuYasha and he reached into his jacket a took out one of the stolen cigarettes. he was about to light when he remember he wasn't alone. "Oh fuck.." He turned to Kikyo. He had expected her to berate him, or tell him that he would kill him self, or not want to be with him while he smoked.

What he had not expected was for her to take the cigarette out of his mouth and stick it in her's. InuYasha smirked in relief and something else he couldn't put his finger on at the sight of his friend sharing his bad habit. He lit her smoke then got another one for him self.

After several momnets of silence, InuYasha asked "Where'd you live before you moved here?" in the darkness he couldn't see the look of lonelyness in Kikyo's eyes. "Well.. I.. we move around a lot, it's becuase of my father's job.. I.. WE just can't stay in the area for too long." Kikyo swore at her self in her head, dammit, why was it so hard to lie to him?

"Speakin' of which, I gotta go. Good night InuYasha." She stubbed out her cigarette and slid off the edge. InuYasha heard the rocks sliding beneath her feet as she walked back to the tracks. "See ya tommorow!' He yelled after her. After a moment he put out his own smoke, ate a piece of chocolate he had saved to kill the smell of tobacco on his breath, and headed for home. He went to bed for the first time in recent memory looking forward to waking up.

-END-

Remeber, I can't hear your praise, enternal curses on my very soul, or screams of extasy over the internet. Leave a review. 


	4. Damned fool cursades

Third chapter in three days, Enjoy.

Also, thanks to your prayers and my set of GearWrenches, my chair is doing fine and is once again supporting my back.

His work on the bike done of the day, InuYasha stared idly at the box high atop the shelf. Why had his father left him a gun? Why not leave it with his mother? And why such and expensive and hard to get pistol?

He remembered the day he learned about it. He was only a small child, eight, when his brother, who had to be at least ten years older, InuYasha couldn't remember, called him into the room.

He had taken the box down from it's shelf and layed it in front of his younger brother. InuYasha had reached inside curiously and his hand curled around the plastic grip. He pulled it out slowly and stared at it in wonder. He had seen them on TV and in movies, but never a real one.

"InuYasha," His brother began coldly above him "This gun was given to you by our father. it is your gun, not mother's, not mine, your's. When the time comes, ask mother about father. Untill then, keep it safe, learn to use it, but never implament what you've learned. And above all, mother must never know you have this gun, lest she take it away to keep you from following us on some damned fool cursade."

InuYasha didn't know what to say, his brother had never spoken to him like that. Then the day after he had left. InuYasha remebered that day too.

InuYasha returned to the present with a scowl on his face. That bastard. Well nothing he could do about it now. InuYasha took a last look at the box and headed for his room.

His room was in the basement, the only furniture was a desk, a matress on the floor, and a couch. Sometimes he slept on the matress but usually he was on the couch. His clothes lay scatered on the floor. The walls were covered by USMC recrutiment posters and bands from the sixties and seventies. Grunting, he flopped down on the couch. He had to be the only high schooler he knew with aches in his joints.

He tried to let his mind float away to sleep but knew he couldn't do it. It had been three weeks since he and Kikyo had unoffically dropped out. Everyday since they had wandered around town, stole food and smokes, then retired to the bridge to shoot the shit till well after dark.

And everyday since then he couldn't sleep. He didn't understand it but some thing wouldn't let him rest if he wasn't moving. or with Kikyo. He had to close the windows becuase the night and the freedom of life he ahd experaninced with Kikyo, no one giving orders, no one to obey, no one with authoriety over him, no obligation to stay in one place longer than he pleased, if some one didn't like him becuase of his apperance, who cared? Fuck 'em, the only person he stayed around for more than 15 minutes was Kikyo.

He sighed, damn that bitch was messing with his mind. What was she doing to him? Ever since he met her he couldn't be at easy when he was alone. Usually that was the only time he could rest, but now... damn her!

Five hours later, InuYasha slipped into unconciousness.

The next day he met Kikyo in the normal place and they rambled around town like normal until it came time to shop lift lunch, but when they reached the bridge to eat, InuYasha didn't go under. "Some where new today InuYasha?" Kikyo asked. InuYasha knew she didn't care where they went.

"Nah, I just feel like exploring for a little bit." Just then his eye cuaght a pipe that ran unde ground along side the tracks, when the ground fell away it hung in the air a foot away from the metal sides of the bridge. Inuyasha grinned in anticpation. "Like that.."

Holding on the bridge, InuYasha tested the pipe. It was steel and it looked like it would hold his wieght. "InuYasha, no." Kikyo stated in exasperation. "Oh come on, it will hold my wieght." "Yeah here, but what if it doesn't in the middle? I'm not going in after you." "Oh I can swim." "The rivers three feet deep here, you'll break a leg or a knock your self uncoincious on a rock an' drown." InuYasha flashed her a cocky smile. "Yeah? Well I'll burn that bridge when I come to it." He said before spinning around in a manner that put him in unnessicary danger but looked cool.

Putting one foot directly in front of the other InuYasha began to walk across the pipe. The ground fell away to the rocks under the bridge by thier hiding spot, then to the emerald waters of the river. He moved into the middle of the bridge. Shit, he had to be at least twenty feet above the water.. what had Kikyo said, it was only three feet? Shit.

Then he looked at the river. The water was flat, a thousand points of sunlight glittered off the river before it turned into the woods. The trees on either side were still in bloom and a lively shade of green. Damn, no wonder he couldn't stay inside for long..

"Kikyo come out here!" "Yeah, and put more wieght on it an' kill us. No thanks." "Do you want to live forever? Just trust me and get out here." Kikyo looked at him skeptically. But eventully walked out to join him. She stepped lightly on the pipe and didn't even need to lean agaist the bridge for balance.

InuYasha grinned at her. Damn she was graceful.. "See, what are you complaining about? You ain't gonna fall." Kikyo smiled briefly back. "I wasn't worried about me, I was worried about your clumsy ass." "I made it fine." "Yeah yeah.. so what did you wanna show me?"

InuYasha pointed out across the river as she leaned against the bridge beside him. Kikyo looked out acoss the river and let out a low whistle.

For several moments they both stared at the scenery, the same smile on thier face. The Kikyo looked to her left along the tracks.

"InuYasha" she began, panic in her voice "InuYasha, train train TRAIN!" "FUCK!" InuYasha moved as fast he could along the pipe which wasn't very fast. The ground was rumbling, dammit how had he not heard this before hand? 

The train as barreling down on them, the vibration of the bridge would shake them off into the river. Shit he wasn't gonna make it in time, he glanced over his shoulder, oh fuck he wasn't gonna make it. He would be above the rocks when it hit, FUCK!

He looked down, he was at the edge of the river, the water was probably only a foot deep here, and and the muddy waters were brown. Muddy..

"INUYASHA!" He heard Kikyo call his name as he stepped out into the abyss. For a split second he hung in the air before gravity began to pull him down. He felt the wind rushing past him. Saw the river, deceptively tranquil, the sun glisting off tiny ripples. He saw his legs, seemingly motionless as the river rushed to met him. He bent his knees slightly and braced him self.

He was aware of the cold water up to his knees first, then he felt his knees bend. His hands dissappered under the water as his form bent to absorb the blow. As soon as gravity no longer had control of his body he spun around the face the bridge, his legs beging to ache.

He held his arms out. "JUMP!" He commanded. "WHAT?" "JUMP OR GET KNOCKED OFF!" "BUT-" "I'LL CATCH YOU! SHUT UP AND JUMP!"

He saw Kikyo take one last look at the train before looking back at him. Then the next thing he knew she was whistling through the air at him. Oh fuck, please let him catch her!

His whole body was driven down again by the wieght in his arms. For some reason the back of his neck ached too. When he striaghtned up he let out a sigh of relief that Kikyo had landed safley, and traced the source of pain in his neck to fact that she had draped her arms around it in an effort not to slide off.

InuYasha couldn't help but grin to him self and think, my legs hurt like hell, I was covered in cold water up to my knees, mud was flowing into my boots, but Kikyo had jumped when I told her, and was currently was resting in my arms catching her breath. Not even a drop of water on her. Damn I'm good...

InuYasha pulled his feet out of the mud, and trugded on to dry land before setting her down. "Oh yeah.. " she panted "Trust me, and get out here. Goddamn you InuYasha..." "Hey, need I remind you I just saved your life?" "I wouldn't of needed saving if you hadn't convinved me to go along with your stupid ideas!" "Jesus, not even a thank you."

For not the first or last time Kikyo swore at her self, she had done worse shit than that. Hell she did a million times worse! Why did it feel like this was the first time she really risked something? It had something to do with InuYasha, that much she knew. Damn him...

That same night at dinner, InuYasha decied to ask his mother about something.. "Ma, what did dad do for a living?" His mother's hand stop a foot from her face. "Your father... he worked in construction.." She never was good at lying, InuYasha thought. "Yeah, how did he die?" "InuYasha, you are not following in thier footsteps you hear me? Your all I have left and I'm not losing you to some damn ideal!" "Yes Ma.."

Hmmm, InuYasha thought to him self. "Thier" foot steps? So his brother did the same thing as his dad.. Very interesting. He just might have to follow them yet.

-END-

Remember, I can't hear ya curse/luagh/scream over the internet, leave a review. 


	5. The great CostCo raid

Kikyo glanced at her friend. He was mulling something over in his head. She could tell. He had been too quiet today. "Okay, InuYasha, what's going on between those ears of yours?" He rolled the cigarette around his mouth in thought. "Well.. I've been thinking." "Since when do you do that?" "You wanna hear this, or you wanna crack wise?" "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, go on."

"Well anyway," he began seriously. "The guys at the convenience stores are starting to figure out we're the ones stealin' shit all the time. Remember that one asshole who called the cops as soon as we walked in?" He remembered with a laugh. "Well, now just shoplifting small crap is getting boring." "Your point?" "Well, I remember going to Costco once. They had an area set aside for smokes. I mean like boxes of thirty cartons of the mother fuckers stacked seven feet high." He took a drag. "Up for a little break in Kik'?"

InuYasha returned home, plans for the night already running through his mind. He didn't even bother trying to sleep, opting instead to prepare and plan.

When three AM rolled around, it was drizzling lightly. InuYasha opened the window and slipped out, boots dropping down into the moist earth. And suddenly it was a whole new ball game.

All the wondering that had been running through his head ceased. He focused only on what had to be done. His mind ran through plans for what he would do if Kikyo wasn't there, if a civilian saw him, if a cop saw him, if they set off an alarm inside.

Except he'd never need those back up plans. It would go as planned. There would be no complications, or turns of bad luck. That happened to other people. Not him.

There was a slight mist from the drizzle. As InuYasha moved through it in a crouch, he felt the rain moisten his jacket and pants. It was cold out. Still warm for October, but cold none the less.

He made his way along the side of the tracks through the forest. It was unnecessary he knew. He could just walk there and no one would see him. But he kept down anyway. This was just training for when he'd really need it.

The river came into view. They were gonna meet in their usual spot, which was on the other side of the river. He COULD just walk across the bridge, but that was the easy way. And the easy way was never as fun or rewarding as the hard way.

He found the pipe that ran along the bridge. He checked to see how much room he had between the pipe and the bridge. InuYasha smiled. It was enough.

He slid down to the bank of the river and found the pipe above him. He leaped up and grabbed it.

Kikyo looked around. 'Where is that silver haired idiot?' she thought, looking around. 'Well he's late. There's a surprise.' She turned to watch the two sides of the hill InuYasha usually slid down. She didn't notice the figure behind her lower itself silently into the water.

A gloved hand covered her mouth. She was pulled into something rough. The world turned, and she felt the ground beneath her back. The hand was still over her mouth. Above her, a man raised a large knife to strike. Kikyo stared into his amber eyes.

InuYasha couldn't contain him self any more. He rolled off Kikyo laughing. He picked him self up and spun the KaBar in his hand before returning it to its sheath on his hip.

Behind him, Kikyo raised her self to her feet in shock. He turned around and saw her staring at him open mouthed. As he walked away from her, he heard her rush at him.

She jumped on him, InuYasha caught her legs as she wrapped an arm around his neck. "You! Little! Bastard!" She swore, using the other arm to punch him in the back. InuYasha kept on laughing as Kikyo tried to choke him.

He trudged up the slope onto the tracks, he surveyed the area. All clear. Now, what was the best route to get them where they're goin'? They could just go through town, but that was risky. Where was the forest closest to the store? He shifted the weight on his shoulders. 'Weird, was colder when I first came out..'

Some thing shifted slightly on his back, and InuYasha suddenly remembered he was still carrying Kikyo. "Oh, shit, sorry.." he muttered in embarrassment, letting her down. She muttered something InuYasha didn't quite make out, just as embareassed.

Kikyo quickly regained her composure. "Now how do you plan on.." She trailed off as she got a good look at her friend. For the second time tonight, he had left her speechless.

He was garbed in BDUs and combat boots. His head was covered by a green boonie cap. He was dressed in exact imitation of a Marine. "You. Are. Shot, InuYasha. We're just going to fucking Costco, not humping it through the bush looking for Charlie!" InuYasha just grinned broadly.

"Anyway," InuYasha started seriously. "what I was thinking is, we go through the woods till we get to those houses east of the highway, then sneak the couple blocks through them, right up to that field behind the store, then see what we can see." Kikyo couldn't help but admire his professionalism in the manner. 'And he does look kinda dashing, all decked out in camo.'

"Sound like a plan to you?" InuYasha wrapped up. "Huh? Oh yeah. Let's go." InuYasha nodded and slid back down into the woods.

The trek through the woods was quick. They stayed on the mud foot path, which made little noise. Through the trees, InuYasha caught site of some houses. He ran over the path they had taken in his head and compared it to a map he had seen once. 'Yeah, this is the place.'

InuYasha signaled to Kikyo and they crouched down low and started slowly making their way through the bush toward the first fence. InuYasha reached up and pulled him self over it silently. Before he had a chance to turn around, he heard Kikyo land beside him.

The pair moved silently through the yard to the street. They couldn't see the ends of the street through the mist. InuYasha ventured out a little, just in case some one happened to be around. No one. InuYasha signaled the all clear to Kikyo.

Kikyo let him lead the way. She knew she was better at this sorta thing, with all the times she did it, but she followed his lead none the less.

They made their way through several blocks of houses in the same manner before they came up behind their target. With no cover, and only wet grass beneath them, they sprinted till they reached the building.

InuYasha gestured upwards to an open window. It was too far up for either of them to reach, but InuYasha squatted down and Kikyo stood on his shoulders. She held out a hand to the wall to balance her self and he slowly stood up.

He looked up as she reached for the window. 'If only she was wearing a skirt..' he thought as she pulled her self over and in. A moment later, a rope came flying out the window. InuYasha gave it a quick tug, found it secure and pulled him self upwards.

When he was close enough, he planted a foot on the wall and pushed upwards, grabbing on to the sill with both hands. He pulled him self up threw a leg inside before sliding down.

He landed with surprisingly little noise. As soon as he was down, Kikyo motioned for him to stay still. He watched her slip through the shadows toward the chain link fence around the tobacco area. She climbed silently, and InuYasha saw her drop into the the darkness.

Moments passed. InuYasha scanned the warehouse for movement. No guards. Nothin'. Kikyo reappeared, straddling the fence. She gestured toward the door in the fence, and InuYasha silently made his way over.

When he got there Kikyo was on the other side, working on the pad lock. InuYasha glanced at her in curiosity. 'Where'd she learn to pick locks?' She finished and swung the door wide.

InuYasha walked in and grabbed a carboard box filled with cartons of Marlboros and headed for the window. Kikyo moved some boxes to stand on and slipped back out the window.

InuYasha stood on the boxes and dropped the box out the window. He didn't hear it land. Kikyo caught it. He quickly followed it out the window.

They made their way, cargo secured, back to the forest. InuYasha would drop the box over the fence, Kikyo would catch it, and InuYasha would pull him self over.

The trip was completely uneventful, and therefor a resounding success. When they got back to the bridge, a problem manifested itself. "Uhhh... where are we gonna keep this thing?" InuYasha wondered. Kikyo thought for a moment. "Right here. We'll throw a tarp over it.""Good plan."

"I'm gonna get the tarp. Stay here and guard it, Sarge." Kikyo said, saluting him and walking away as he flipped her off.

'What a guy. That was fun too.' Kikyo let her thoughts drift for a moment. 'He was quiet. Very quiet. And very professional about it all. He'd be good if he came along once..' Kikyo shook the thought from her head. 'No way. I don't know how good he is under fire, or how good he is in a fight either. A real fight.' She sighed. 'Besides, he's InuYasha.. I can't.. I can't bring him into what I do..' 


	6. Target Pratice

The story this a prequel too has been moved to

http: passed uneventfully, then faded into winter, which thawed into spring. Then winter pulled a fast one on summer and fall for three weeks in June it was 30 degrees. Summer figured out what happened and kicked winter's ass, and returned the seasons to their rightful place.

During this brief period of seasonal civil war, life for InuYasha continued along the same course it had been since he decided to drop out, and the Harley creeped even closer to being functional.

One night, as he finished his beer, he took it to the trash can he kept for beer bottles. He noticed it was full. He grinned. 'Finally. I'll talk to Roy in the mornin' on my way to meet Kikyo and- Shit. I'm gonna be with Kikyo all day, and she can't come along... shiit. Ah well. Do it at night, I need to practice at night anywho.'

The next morn' he rambled out the front door an hour early, and instead of heading for the over pass where they normally met, he headed off toward town.

He entered a small store on the side of the highway, a sign out front read 'R&R Sporting Guns.' Inside, a man sat behind a glass counter full of hand guns, packing his own cigarettes. He looked up at the sound of the door opening.

Roy nodded at InuYasha and finished packing the last tube. Sesshomaru had intoduced InuYasha to Roy when he was young, before that bastard left. Roy was an old friend of his dad's who apparently owed him one.

"Usual?" Roy asked. "Yeah." Roy reached under the counter and pulled out a box of 50 .41 AE rounds. "Yer lucky I do this for ya, ya know how hard it is to find .41 AE slugs now-a-days?" "Yeah yeah, yer too good to me Roy." "Damn right I am! I outta charge you for em!" "Hate to rob you of the five bucks ya lose on 'em." "Try 50" "Eh." "Get outta here before I show ya the new Springfield .45 I got in, ya little punk." "Yeah yeah, want the brass back?" "Of course."

That night when he said goodbye to Kikyo, InuYasha returned home, and, never taking off his jacket, walked into the garage and set the box of rounds on the work bench. He reached up to the shelf and pulled down the box with the Jericho in it. He pulled the pistol out of the box and set in on the table, before reaching up and pulling down a second box.

This one had four magazines in it. He dumped them on the table and slid out the cardboard carton inside of the box. He sat down on a stool and lit up a smoke.

InuYasha reached over the neat rows of bullets, brass casings shining in the work light, the words "STARLIGHT 41 AE" stamped around the primers. The room was silent as he picked up the first round between his fingers and pressed it into a magazine with his thumb. The spring pushing the round upwards produced a solid chink.

'Why did he leave me this gun?' Chink. 'What does he think I'm gonna use it for?' Chink. 'Not mine.' Chink. His brother's words echoed in his head. 'Not mine, yours.' Chink. 'Ask mother about father.' Chink. 'What did the old man do?' Clink. 'What does he expect me to do with this?' Chink. 'Damned fool crusades' Chink. 'Crusades. So they both went off on some kinda quest.' Chink. 'But what?' Chink. 'And why?' Chink.

He set the now loaded magazine down and picked up the second one. 'Sesshomaru made it sound like I was going to follow them.' Chink. 'Both he and dad left, and he seems sure I'm goin'..' Chink. 'Maybe what ever it is, it's a family thing.' Chink. 'Hell, Roy helps me 'cuz of my family..' Chink. 'So, saying I did have to leave home..' Chink. 'Could I tell anyone?' Chink. 'Tell Kikyo?' Chink. 'I don't wanna abandon her jus' to go off on some adventure.' Chink. 'Hell, she did fine at Costco, why couldn't she come along?' Chink. 'But, what would she think of me?' Chink. 'I have to let her know it's for some higher purpose.' Chink. 'That I'm not some common criminal..'

He set down the mag and finished loading the other two in a daze. He slipped a magazine into the pistol and rammed it home with his palm. He stuck the Jericho in his jacket and the magazines in his belt. He picked up the trash bag with the bottles in them and walked out the door.

He walked into the woods for half an hour, far away from any one who could hear. He came to his normal spot, a clearing with a shot-up desk in it. The ground was littered with busted bottles.

InuYasha set down the trash bag and started lining up the bottles on the desk. He walked back 15 paces and calmly reached in his pocket and drew his sidearm. He racked the slide and chambered a round.

Kikyo sat with her back against a fallen tree, cigarette between her lips. The world was pitch dark, but she knew no one could sneak up on her. The air was warm and muggy, and she could feel herself drifting off. She considered sleeping under the bridge where she and InuYasha always sat again, but she didn't like sleeping in the same place twice in a row.

'Listen to yourself. Was it always this bad? Have I always been this used to it? So far away from normal life? Is it really worth all this shit? Hell, look at yourself. No home, no family, sleeping in the woods, not to mention my 'job'. Hell, I can only relate to other outsiders, like InuYasha. Hey, that's not fair, you're making that sound like a bad thing. Hell, you can't even relax without InuYasha nearby anymore..'

A gunshot rang through the silence of the night. Kikyo's hand instinctively went to the small of her back as she looked toward the sound. 'Large cal, somewhere in the forties, pistol.' She thought with a twinge of remorse, the thought an exclmation point on her previous introspection.

InuYasha shot down six bottles in rapid succession. His brother had told him to learn how to use it, and he would. Not for that bastard, but for himself. He held out the Jericho with one hand and lined up the sights on the bottom of a bottle.

Kikyo slowed down as she got near the gunfire. She figured out it was coming from a small clearing, and she knew there was good cover there. She crouched behind a tree and blended in with the darkness.

'It's just someone uses bottles for target practice. No danger to me.' She thought watching several bottles shatter in a matter of seconds. 'Whoever it is, they're good...' She shifted to see the shooter.

She sat down in shock. 'Well, you wondered if he could handle himself in a fight.' Her mind mocked. 'No.. this is InuYasha. He's the only person I know untainted by this shit, I want him to remain like that.' 


	7. IY gets a job? Bullshit!

"How much? ... Alright. Thanks anyway." InuYasha hung up the phone. "Shit!" He swore aloud. Finding a replacement magneato wasn't gonna be cheap.

'Let's see what do I have saved? ... 50 bucks maybe? Shiit. 300 short. Can I get it illegally? Not unless I rob a bank in broad daylight or kill someone. Fuck! This worse than I thought.' He thought as the only option left dawned on him.

"You? A what?" Kikyo wished she was drinking something so she could spit it out in surprise. InuYasha sighed in defeat. "A job..." He muttered."Where are you gonna get a job? I mean, you got no education or nothin'.." "I'm gonna take a bus to the docks tommorow, see if I can get a manual labor job." "So how long will ya be down there?" "Till maybe five. " "Aright.. don't stay there too long, ya know how boring my life can be if I don't have you to nearly kill me." She lied.

Kikyo jammed her hands in her pockets as she walked through town early the next morning. 'Dammit, I'm bored. I got nothing to do and nowhere to go without him.' She stopped. 'I've been alone for how many years with only my 'job'? And now I care that my life is empty.' She sighed and started again for the post office. 'Damn you InuYasha.' She thought, not meaning it.

She walked into the post office and headed for her box like she did everyday. She stuck the key in and prayed with every ounce of strength she could muster for it to be empty again, for this town to be far enough away that they forgot about her.

Her heart dropped violently when she saw the unmarked white envelope inside. She grabbed it with trembling fingers. Habit made her jam into into her pocket as soon as she removed it from the box.

InuYasha leaned his head against the window of the bush and felt the glass vibrate with each bump on the road. 'Dammit. Fucking bike. Fucking job. Now I get to try and get a job working for some asshole, instead of sitting up on that little shelf with Kikyo.' He sighed. 'I miss her already.' He admitted to himself ungrudgingly.

The bus stopped at the docks about noon, and InuYasha began his quest for a job.

Kikyo stared at the letter in her hand. Her feet had carried her back to the bridge. 'I can't do this... I can't. I physically can't. Something will happen if I do, something to me.' Kikyo shuddered and pulled her legs closer to her.

'Is this worth it? Is it moral? All I've done, even if it was immoral, immoral as hell, is it forgivable if I did it for a good reason? And all of them had it coming too. Does that make it right?'

'They had it coming. We all have it coming. Where are you InuYasha? Hurry up and get back to me.'

"Twenty bucks a day." "What? You fuckin' nuts! That's not even minimum wage!" "Minimum wage? Kid, ya know it's illegal to hire you right?" The man behind the desk said. "Aright, fine." InuYasha conceded. "Be here 11 PM next monday, they're building a new storage building on one of the islands. You'll be digging out the foundation. Bring your own shovel."

It was dark when InuYasha got off the bus. It was probably around 10 PM. He made his way toward the bridge. If Kikyo was anywhere, that's where she'd be.

"So, someone hire your ass?" Kikyo asked, kicking herself for her earlier self pity. She had gotten over it soon. She still dreaded completing her next 'assignment', but not so much as before. "Yeah, night shift shovelin' dirt. Start Monday." InuYasha said, climbing up and moving back to the wall Kikyo was leaning against.

"So they actually gonna pay you to rearrange the dirt?" "Not much, but yeah, it's pay. Gonna take like three weeks to get all the cash I need." "I assume you're just going to quit after that."

"Maybe not." He sighed, leaning back on the concrete. "Maybe not? Don't tell me you're gonna continue working!" "May have to. Money's tight, Ma works, but that ain't enough." He sighed again. "Of course, if that bastard had stayed we wouldn't be in this mess." He didn't realize he said it out loud.

"What was that?" Kikyo asked. "Who left?" InuYasha looked at her. He never discussed his brother, but no one asked. And this was Kikyo..

"My brother. He left about ten years ago." He replied. Kikyo knew him well enough to catch that there was more to it. "Do you want to tell me what happened, or shouldn't I ask?"

"Nah, it's okay." He began. "I don't remember much, but one night I heard that bastard arguing with Ma..."

A young InuYasha peeked around the corner into the room where his mother and brother were fighting. "You can't leave! We need the money!" "You knew this day was coming mother." "Why do you have to go? Is it really that important that you would abandon your own mother?"

"Yes, it's that important. It was important enough for father to die for, it's important enough for me to leave for." 'Dad? What does dad have to do with it?' InuYasha thought. He leaned in, hoping to hear something about his dad.

"Don't bring him into this! What he did was for us! So we could live a normal life! We! Me, you and InuYasha!" His ears pricked up at his name. "He's going to leave just as I am. Just as father did. You know that." Sesshomaru replied coldly.

His mother had teared up by this point. Sesshomaru turned and left. InuYasha stared at him in hatred for what he had done to his mother.

Kikyo stared at InuYasha in silence. 'He's upset about it. Real upset.' She had never seen him so open about his home life, or so upset.

She moved over and pressed her shoulder against his in a show of support. Worldessly he slipped his arm around her sholder and pulled her against him.

Kikyo wearily laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. 'He's warm.' Was all she could think as she slowly forgot her earlier troubles.

'This is what you wanted. Someone to relate to. Someone who did things like this with you. Someone who cares about what happens to you.' her mind informed her.

'Just this last job. I've done it before. Then I'll go somewhere, somewhere where they can't find me. Maybe I'll bring InuYasha with me.' She thought, readjusting herself, not aware of the fact she was trying to find a position comfortable enough to sleep in.

InuYasha looked down at the head resting on his shoulder. He smiled to himself as he felt her breathing slow. 'She trusts me. She trusts me enough to sleep like this. How many times had I wished we'd do shit like this? Well, I knew it was gonna happen someday.'

Needless to say, InuYasha did not return home that night. 


	8. Working Man

InuYasha picked up his shovel and headed for the bus station. The blue light of morning was beginning to pierce the mist as he boarded the bus to the sea.

-------

Through the same morning mist, a lone figure stalked through the woods. Kikyo found a break in the trees that exposed a farm house and sat down slowly. She throw the pack on her pack to the ground and fished out a scope. She put her eye to it and began her vigil.

She checked the name on the mail box. 'This is the palce.'

-------

InuYasha stepped off the bus and searched for the small foot bridge to the island he was rearranging. He slung the shovel over his shoulder and set off across the bridge.

He set foot on the brown dirt of the island and looked for someone important. He found some fat bastard who would probably have a heart attack if he shoveled.

Said fat bastard pointed toward a pit being dug out by about five men. InuYasha dropped in, stuck his shovel in the ground, and shoved it into the earth with his boot.

--------

Kikyoscanned the house for any sign of movement. The light came on in an upstairs room. 'Bedroom most likely.' Kikyo thought, hoping he would come to the window for a moment. The light went out. 'Nope. Damn.'

There was movement in the kitchen, and Kikyo couldn't help but remember her own hunger as she caught glimpses of her new objective through the window as he prepared breakfast. 'Wait till he leaves for work, then eat.' She told herself. 'Option one, find a way to see into the kitchen, get him at the table or stove. Risky but do able. He could hide in the house, and then I'd have to go in.'

He left the house and Kikyo got a look at his face. The picture she ahd was blurry, but the resemblance was unmistakable. He took a deep breath and went through some stretches. 'No one stretches that much on a whim, he's got a routine, and will do it again. Option two, when he's stretching. He'll hold still long enough, long way to cover. Course, if he sprints to the door, it will be hard. And then I'd have to go in. Again.'

The man walked casually to the garage. Kikyo couldn't see inside, so she listened to the door slam and counted the seconds 'til the engine came to life. 'Three' The engine roared and she repeated the process until she heard it begin to move.

'Five. That's eight all together. Option three, in the car. Holds still, forced to go for the upper chest/head area. If he guns it, I'm screwed. I could disable it tonight. Then he could just hide behind the engine block, or run around back. And I couldn't move fast enough before he disappeared.'

The pickup drove off and Kikyo fished in her pack for an MRE. She opened it and let it heat itself. 'Meal Ready to Eat. Three lies for the price of one.' She thought, digging in. MREs these days actually were edible, but tradition required they not be accepted. 'Hookay, next up, where should I be for this?' She thought, scanning the woods.

-------

InuYasha wiped his brow and stuck a cigarette between his lips. "You shouldn't do that, that's how they get ya!" InuYasha turned around to look at the squirrely man who had addressed him. "What?" "Smoking! That's how they get ya!" "Who gets me?" "The government! They keep letting tobacco companies advertise, yet they keep raising taxes on them! They're using the money for their black projects!"

"Get to fucking work, Jerry." One of the other workers commented. InuYasha turn to look at him. "Don't mind ol' Jerry Rooney, he's mad as a mule." "I'll keep that in mind." "New here?" "Yeah."

The worker leaned closer. "Ya see that guy?" He asked lowly, pointing at a skinny guy with a nasty scar down his cheek. "Yeah" "That's Maloney, we call 'im 'spill blood'. He's killed three people. That we know of. He's a right temperamental bastard who takes a disliking to everyone, particularly younger ones such as yer self, so step clear of him." InuYasha chewed that over in his head. "Three people eh?" "That we know of." "I won't be diggin' up any of 'em will I?" The man grinned and returned to work.

---------

Kikyo found her position. It was a small bluff in the forest behind a break in the tree lines, which provided her with just enough clearing to see the front of the house and into the garage.

She estimated 100 meters from her position, and kept doubling it until she reached the house. '300 odd meters. Well, hard part's over. Now I just gotta wait 'til he gets back.' Kikyo flopped on her back, resting her head on the pack.

---------

People began to leave around five in the afternoon, so InuYasha decided to do the same.

---------

Kikyo sat up as she heard the pickup coming down the road. Not that he would give her any better opportunities, but you never know. He did nothing fancy, and merely walked into the house. By now it was late in the afternoon, and Kikyo picked up her pack and headed back to the bridge. 'Now all I gotta do is pick a day.'

She got back to under the bridge before InuYasha. She heard boots coming and turned to greet her friend. "So, how'd joining the work force feel? Your head explode from taking orders yet?" "Yeah yeah, wise ass.." InuYasha said, pulling him self up and sitting beside her. 


	9. The Queen Ann's Revenge

------

"Hey! Kid!" InuYasha looked at the fat guy in charge. As far as lard ass knew, his name was 'Kid.' "What the hell do you want?" He cried from the pit he was digging out.

"I need you to take a package over to one of the ships!" "Why the fuck should I?" "Why the fuck shouldn't I let the state know you don't go to school?" "Fuck you, ya fat bastard!" "The ship's called The Queen Ann's Revenge. It's moored up on the east end." Fat man tossed InuYasha a package. "And one more thing, no one fucking sees this package except the captain, got it shit head?" "Fuck you, you fat bastard." InuYasha repeated slowly. "Good, now get fucking moving and hope I don't phone ahead and tell 'em to kill you."

As InuYasha passed over the bridge, shovel slung over his shoulder, he considered tossing the package into the sea and going home, but maybe they would give him money to give back to Fat Bastard. Then he could take the money and quit this damned job.

Ten minutes later and InuYasha found The Queen Ann's Revenge. The 'ship' was a two diesel small yacht boat. InuYasha noticed the diesels were both from the cigarette boats used to run drugs up from the Caribbean. 'Druggies. Goodie. More scum of the Earth for me to put up with.'

No one was on the weather deck, so InuYasha headed up the gang plank and dropped below decks.

The cabin he had walked into wasn't fancy. A folding table, cards, booze and pistols on top of it, some guy asleep on a couch, and some folding chairs stacked against the bare steel bulkhead.

Before he could wake the sleeping guy, a shadow loomed up behind him. InuYasha turned to see a ratty little guy with a knife in the stairwell. "Intruder! Intruder! I caught an-" InuYasha punched the high pitched bastard out.

As he slammed into the bulkhead, and then toppled to the deck with a loud thud, the guy on the couch began to stir. InuYasha inched toward the pistols on the table.

"Oi, who the hell are you?" The guy asked in confusion. "And what the fuck happened to the rat?" "This guy?" InuYasha asked, gesturing toward the unconscious guard with his boot. "Started waving his knife around, so I punched him out." "Eh, serves him right, paranoid bastard." the guy swung his feet on to the deck and took a beer from the table.

"So, who are you?" InuYasha held up the package "The fat guy over on the other side of the docks told me to give this to the captain." "Oh yeah. Cap't told us about that. I'll call 'im. Sit down, have a beer." He said, waving his arm toward the table.

InuYasha picked up a folding chair and leaned his shovel against the bulkhead. He took a seat, and threw his boots up on the table. He picked up an unopened beer and cracked open the tab. The guy not on the floor pulled a radio out from his belt. "Yo Cap't! The fat guy sent over the package finally!" "Right, be there in a minute." A voice squawked back.

The man turned to InuYasha. "So what's yer name kid?" "InuYasha." "InuYasha eh? I'm Jack. Nice job ya did on the rat, if we didn't need his skill with the Ann's radar I would killed 'im meself long ago." "Radar? What the fuck you guys need radar for?" "Ah you know I can't tell ya that. I'm sure ya can figure it out though." "Sure I can." InuYasha replied, sipping his beer.

InuYasha's head turned toward the sound of boots coming down the stairs. A tall man in his mid twenties ducked to get inside. "'Bout time the fat bastard got that damn thing." He said. "What the hell happened to Jonesy?" He asked, stepping around the body still on the floor.

Jack grinned. "He decided to sneak up on fat man's new errand boy." InuYasha grinned and raised his beer in greeting. "You did this?" "Yepp." "Good work, kid. If Jack hadn't beat me to it, I would buy you a beer." "You wouldn't 'buy' a dying man medicane and you know it." Jack commented.

"Fuck you, Daniels." The Captain said, opening the package. He turned the box on its side and let a silencer fall into his hand. "Good. Just in time too." He reached for the small of his back and removed a Mk.23. "Thanks a bunch kid. Here's something for your troubles." He finished screwing the silencer on the barrel. InuYasha set the beer down and let his finger tips wander to a Beretta lying on the table.

The Captain held the pistol still in his hand. "Don't trust us, kid?" "Not a fucking bit." "You're smarter than you look." "Wish I could say the same for you."

Silence filled the compartment. The captain narrowed his eyes. InuYasha stared back coldly and slipped a finger around the trigger.

Jack burst out laughing. The Captain lowered his gun and chuckled. "Give the kid some credit, Cap't!" Jack exclaimed. InuYasha smiled and moved his hand back to his beer. "You got more balls than most of the damn kids the fat bastard sends us." The captain said, reaching in his back pocket.

He tossed a wad of bills on the table. "For your time an' trouble. We see ya again, we may give ya another job." "Much appreciated." InuYasha picked up his shovel and headed back to work.

By the time he got back across to the bridge to the island he was digging up, people were starting to leave. InuYasha considered leaving, but figured he'd let Fat Ass know it went smooth.

As he crossed the bridge, he bumped into somebody. InuYasha got a look at his face and swore. "Why you little fucking punk!" Maloney said, reaching in his coat. "Think clearer Spillblood, lotta witnesses here." Maloney's hand stopped.

"Don't ever walk alone at night, boy." He swore and moved on.

That night, and InuYasha was back where he belonged. Under the bridge, in his leather jacket, having a smoke with Kikyo.

"Summer sure is great. Nice weather, no school." The two shared a laugh. "Serious question, InuYasha." "Yeah?" "You sure as hell ain't graduating, so what do you plan on doing?" InuYasha took a drag before answering. "Well, way I see it, once I get the Softail up and running.. save up what money I have.. pick a direction, and just roll the power on." "Life on the open road.." InuYasha smiled. "Yeah, life on the open road. No boss, no job, no responsibility.. just freedom."

Kikyo watched the smoke hit the bridge above her. 'On the road.. no address.. no one has to know my real name... they'd never find me. It could work. They'd never find me. Never. Not to mention, InuYasha's there.He'd take me with. No two doubts about that.'

Kikyo smiled and looked at the silver haired youth. "Well then, get it fixed soon." 


	10. Violence across the board

Kikyo looked out over the hills. 'Man, it's pretty down here.' She thought, oiling her rifle. She pulled the rag out of the Garand's bolt and replaced it with an eight round stripper clip. She slammed the bolt closed and got ready for work.

Kikyo crept through the early morning mist toward the farm house. Now that she knew the landscape, she went straight toward the crag of rock she had picked out on her scouting run.

She went prone on the rock and crawled up to the edge. Kikyo made sure she had a clear view of the house. She fit the barrel of the Garand between two pieces of rock and let it rest. She had a couple hours til show time. She got up and sat down in a more comfortable position.

As the sun rose, there was movement in the kitchen. Kikyo brought the scope to her eye. She confirmed it was the right guy and set the scope down. 'As soon as he's done eating...'

She reached in her pocket and pulled out a pack of smokes. She took one in her mouth and lit it as she laid back down on the rock and brought the rifle to her shoulder.

She reconfirmed the range to the house. '300m. Last time I used it it was at 200.. 50 meters a click.. so two clicks back.' Kikyo reached up and adjusted the rear sight. 'Leaves moving now and then, I can feel some wind on my face.. 4, 5 mile per hour wind right, that's... a click right..' Kikyo adjusted the windage with her thumb.

She took a drag, slowing her heart and breath, and readjusted her legs into a good position. She looked over the rifle toward the front of the house.

The man walked out. Kikyo lowered her cheek to the rifle's stock. He stopped and stretched his legs. Kikyo lined up the sights above the man's bent back. Hestraightened up and stretched his arms behind his head, puffing his chest out.

Kikyo took a normal breath and only let part of it out. She held her breath for the few seconds it took to center the sights on his chest. Her finger was slowly closing on the trigger before she even had him in her sight.

The silence of the morning was shattered by the deep BLAM of the Garand. 'Good.' Kikyo called her shot as soon as she fired. Three hundred meters away, some poor bastard was about to suck on a thirty odd.

Kikyo smiled in satisfaction when she saw her target on the ground. Just to make sure, she took another look through the scope to confirm it was a fatal shot. It was.

Kikyo placed the rifle back in a canvas cover, tied it up, and headed home, making sure to picked up her brass on the way.

----

InuYasha had taken a break from shoveling. Two of the guys next to him were discussing something. "That's why I don't like public schools. I home school my kids." One of 'em said. "Yeah, but what about the social aspect of it? I think kids have a lot more fun hanging out with the other kids." The other replied. "Nah, it's funner hangin' at home with Mom and Dad." "Funner? You home school your kids and you fucking invent a word? Your kids are gonna be fucking ditch diggers like us!" "FUCK YOU" The first one responded, coupling it with a blow.

InuYasha sighed and decided to go home.

InuYasha had crossed the bridge and was making his way to the bus station when a familar voice rang out behind him. "Hey! Kid! In... Inu.. fuck it! You know I mean you!" InuYasha turned his attention to the big guy running toward him. "Howdy, Jack." "Interested in making a little money?" "Always." "Can ya hang around for a couple hours?"

InuYasha considered this carefully. 'On one hand, that's less time with Kikyo. On the other hand, money.' "Sure, I can stick around." "Alright, show up the Ann at 10."

And so InuYasha found himself on the boat for the second time. Jack met him on the weather deck. He handed InuYasha a map of the docks. One of the piers was highlighted. "See this ship? There's only one gangway. We need you to make sure no one gets on or off. Once you're in place, signal by whistling. We'll let ya know when it's all clear." "Aye aye."

The ship in question was on another one of the small islands accessible only by a small bridge. InuYasha parked himself in front of the gang plank with his shovel. When no one told him to move, he whistled.

For fifteen minutes he stood in front of the boat with nothing to do but smoke. Then someone began to wander drunkenly toward the boat. He stopped in front of InuYasha, who could see the man was smashed out of his mind.

"Hey, buddy, let me on." "No can do. Captain's orders." "But c'mon, where are we supposed to go?" He asked, too trashed to realize the silver haired youth was someone he had never seen before. "Ya still ain't gettin' on." "Hey, fuck you buddy! I can get on if I want!" "I said fuck off!" InuYasha growled.

Apparently the youth with the shovel and chilly yellow eyes had convinced him. "I'll be back!" the drunk swore and stumbled off.

After five more minutes of boredom, InuYasha heard sounds of a scuffle on the ship. The light in the bridge flicked on, and InuYasha saw a man pointing a gun at Jack and two other people InuYasha didn't recognize.

"Got ya! Ya damn pirates! Raiding people in dock! Have you no honor?" His reward in mortal jeopardy, InuYasha began to creep up the gang plank behind the gunman.

InuYasha brought his shovel down on the guy's head and he went out like a light.

Jack looked at him in surprise. "I'll be damned! Nice work, kid!" he turned to one of the other guys. "See, I told ya he was trustworthy as the guard dog." "Yeah yeah." "Kid, the Ann owes ya one."

Five minutes later, InuYasha was crossing the bridge back to the bus station, very much richer. The bridge was small, wooden, and had room for only one person. InuYasha noticed someone coming toward him.

It was Spillblood again. InuYasha shifted his hand on the shovel. He knew Spillblood recognized him. "What did I tell you about walking alone at night, boy?" He demanded. "Fuck you, Spillblood." "I'll kill you!" He threatened.

Spillblood reached in his coat. InuYasha didn't have to draw his shovel. Spillblood had picked the wrong man. InuYasha noticed some blood on the shovel.InuYasha kicked the limp form into the sea and barked a single laugh into the night. "HA!" and dipped his shovel in the water to clean it off. 


	11. Highway Hijinks

A/N: Recently, this story was deleted. It was either becuase of the summery, or becuase I had this story twice, once under IY/Kik, once in the normal madness. Right now I'mma assume the latter, but if it gets deleted again, I guess I got little choice.

InuYasha had stopped going to work two weeks ago. Now, a card board box lay ripped apart on the floor of the garage. The clock on the wall read three o' clock in the morning. The final bolt could be tightened no farther. InuYasha's hands stopped. He dropped the wrench. He closed his eyes. A deep growl filled the room as the Softail roared to life. InuYasha screamed in triumph. He made a blitz to pick up his jacket and some money before jumping into the saddle.  
As he eased the red Softail out of the garage, he considered picking up Kikyo for the inaugural run. InuYasha realized he had no idea where Kikyo lived. 'Maybe I should wait till morning'  
He took a look down the west bound road and right away made his choice. The lure of the open road was too much for him. He twisted the throttle and sped off into the night.  
There was no traffic as InuYasha learned to put everything he had learned, from stolen dirt bikes and a few 'borrowed' bikes, on how to operate the hog into effect. The cool summer wind whipped wildly into his face. The engine's roar filled the night. InuYasha stood on the petals, trying to get as much wind as possible.  
The head light created a single light in the inky darkness of the night. The night was muggy, but the heat was no match for the breeze. Dim shapes ahead let him know town was approaching. The roar of the V-twin echoed off the buildings, a few lights were on, and InuYasha saw a couple people standing in a store front. His turn came up, and InuYasha turned on to a long and straight road to the next town over at 20 MPH, almost losing his balance.  
Like a bat out of hell InuYasha sped down the road. He leaned low, reducing the drag and pulled back on the throttle. The wind grew furious, whipping at his face, his hair flying behind him. 'Sixty.. Seventy..' The bike began to wobble slightly as InuYasha figured out how to stay alive at high speed. The trees whipped by in a blur, the wind starting to sting his eyes.  
'Eighty five.. Ninety..' He could feel the engine grow hot and the signature vibration of the bike grow stronger. 'Ninety five.. that's it. I'm doing the ton.' InuYasha tore at the road as more buildings came into his view. He quickly remembered the road shot straight through the town and merged onto the highway about five miles later.  
The town disappeared in a flash as InuYasha sped through at a hundred miles per hour. As he left, he saw a group of choppers gathered out side a all night diner. He smiled and slowed down for the turn onto the highway.  
Kikyo looked around impatiently. "Where the hell is that silver haired idiot? He usually meets me on time." She griped, pacing beneath the highway's bridge over the tracks. "Well not like this is surprising. Bastard will be late for his own funeral." The sound of a motorcycle grew louder. Kikyo looked around of the offending bike. There was a bike heading toward her, and on it was.. Kikyo nearly pissed her self.  
InuYasha slid to a stop in front of Kikyo, grinning stupidly. She stared at him in shock. "You got that damned thing working?" "Damn right I did!" "Is it safe?" InuYasha's grin widened. "Been riding it for the last four hours." "You're shitting me.." "Nope. Ready to go?" "Fuck yeah." Kikyo climbed on behind him.  
InuYasha repeated his route again, this time with Kikyo on his back. Only this time he was a little more cautious. As he merged onto the highway he scowled at the increased traffic. "Ya know.." Kikyo began as he wove in and out of traffic. "There's no speed limit on highways I think.." InuYasha looked over his shoulder at her. She smiled mischievously. There probably was a speed limit, but InuYasha got the point. He grinned back. "Alright. Hold tight"  
The Softail shot forward, the needle creeping forward toward 100 MPH. InuYasha changed lanes every time a car came up ahead of him. Two trucks drove side by side ahead of him. InuYasha grinned and shot between them. Kikyo let one hand drift out to run a finger along the side of one eighteen wheeler.  
As they emerged, InuYasha caught the unmistakable colors of a high way patrol cruiser ahead. InuYasha grinned, trouble glistening in his eyes. "Now you're just being stupid!" Kikyo cried, not able to hide the excitement in her voice.  
InuYasha shot by the cruiser doing well over a hundred. Kikyo turned around, laughing in triumph and excitement at the cruiser. InuYasha drove as fast as possible for the next couple miles, until Kikyo informed him they weren't being chased. InuYasha reluctantly slowed down.  
About midday, judging by the sun, Kikyo had grown used to being on the bike and settled against InuYasha's back. InuYasha smiled to him self. "We gotta pull over for gas!' He cried over his back while looking for the next exit.  
InuYasha filled the bike as Kikyo stole some drinks and food from the convenience store. "So," she began settling down on the bike's bitch seat, "We headed anywhere special?" InuYasha thought about it. "Well, we could hit the Green Pocket, but that's a ways off." "Oh like you have problem with driving this damned thing. Lyin' bastard." Kikyo smiled.  
It was night by the time the two youths wandered into the deserted pool hall. InuYasha got the cues as Kikyo selected a collection of the Seg' on the jukebox.  
InuYasha handed a cue to Kikyo and set the cue ball of the table. Kikyo came closet to the edge, so she got to break. InuYasha sat up on a nearby table and lit up as Kikyo lined up her shot. "You suck. You can't shoot worth crap." He taunted emotionlessly. The cue ball found it's mark, and the nine, two, and five ball were pocketed. "Whore. You suck." Kikyo missed the next shot and InuYasha hopped off the table and took his position. "Watch this, this is how you really play." He bragged. Kikyo hook her head and leaned the cue against the inside of her arm as she lit up herself. InuYasha missed, and grumbled as he retreated away from the table. "Nice playing 'Yasha. Remind me again, how many balls ya got?" "Two." "I should beat you with this cue"  
InuYasha had slung his cue over his shoulder when Kikyo spoke slowly. "So, when are you gonna follow through on this plan of yours, the one to leave?" "Soon." "Why the - Eight ball, side pocket - Why the wait?" "Eh, I dunno, just waiting - Ah you suck. - just waiting for the right time I guess." "Fair enough"  
InuYasha smiled. He had his bike finally, and he had Kikyo. Life was looking good. And in a week or two he'd be on the road, doing as he pleased. It was like a dream.  
But the blues of real life were about to come crashing down the two. Hard. 


	12. The Real Folk Blues

Kikyo checked her mail box out of habit. Her pay from the last guy should becoming in soon. She frowned at the empty box and turned to leave. 'Bastards are late this time.' The sky was gray with clouds, threatening to drizzle soon. Not that Kikyo cared. She left the post office and headed toward the overpass where she would meet InuYasha. A rough hand covered her mouth. Someone dragged her into an alley. A hand fished around the small of the back and ripped her pistol away. She was shoved to the ground.  
"What the fuck?" She yelled angrily, prepared to defend her self. When she saw the two large men and the thin guy in the suit, the youth realized she had no chance. "You've failed us." The thin man spoke quietly. "I killed him!" The thin man slapped her hard across the face and she hit the deck. "You idiot! You killed his brother!" Kikyo's mind went blank. There was nothing she could do but try and survive this. "We should kill you for this. However, I'm a fair guy, and seeing how it was a honest mistake, they did look quite similar, and the fact that the cops aren't on to us, I'll let you off easy." He smiled. Kikyo steeled her self for what she knew was about to happen. She had been through this before. A shoe slammed into her ribs.

A lone figure stood under the highway overpass, rain came down in a steady stream around him, deadening noise and visibility. InuYasha looked around the spot where Kikyo was supposed to be. 'It ain't like her to be late. What the fuck Kik'?' He thought. He had waited half an hour.  
'Maybe she's sick. No, she's shown up feeling shitty. Damn it! Where the fuck?' He thought as the rain echoed around him. 'I'm waiting fifteen minutes. That's it. Then I'm going home'  
An hour later, InuYasha finally admitted that Kikyo wasn't likely to appear and began to walk home. As he passed the bridge he and Kikyo used, he happened to look down between the wood at the ledge. "Holy God!" InuYasha sprinted down the side of the bridge and under it, leaping up on the ledge with out a second thought. He scrambled to the back, where Kikyo sat, bruised and bloody. "Jesus Christ! What the hell happened to you? Are you okay?" Kikyo shifted her eyes up to him. One was black, both were filled with pain and hatred.  
The look in her eyes stopped InuYasha dead. He recovered in an instant and grasped Kikyo by the shoulders, looking her over. 'Jesus Christ..' She was beat bad. Rage began to build in InuYasha, but he pushed it aside to make sure Kikyo was okay.  
Again she looked up at him, then all round, not seeing anything as her eyes sought reality. InuYasha couldn't stand the pain and sadness in her eyes. He pulled Kikyo into his chest and embraced her.  
"Kikyo." He said softly. "What happened? Who did this to you?" Kikyo was silent for a moment. She had promised her self she would tell no one, he'd be in danger if he did, he'd see her as some kind of murder. His grip on her tightened. She gave in. She would tell him everything.

Kikyo shifted to a more comfortable position and was silent for a moment. "InuYasha.." She didn't know where to begin, She leaned all her weight against him and continued. "InuYasha.. I kill people. I have no family, no home. I've been wandering for years, trying to escape this life. But they keep finding me. And if I refuse.. they'd kill me." "Who's they?" InuYasha asked, too calmly.  
As Kikyo began to speak, a train roared over them.

"The people who hire me to.. to kill. The mob. Finito family." There was silence. "I don't enjoy it! I don't want to do it!" She exclaimed hysterically. "When I was young.. my dad was a Marine.. he taught me how to fight. How to shoot. Told me I would use it for good someday." She paused. "I failed. When my parents died in a car accident, I set off on my own. Eventually an old lady learned of my certain.. skill set. She was one of the good guys. She asked me if I wanted to do some good in the world. Was there anyway I could of said no?" Kikyo chuckled sadly. "She told me there was something out there, something that could turn ordinary criminals into super men. She heard rumors that the Finitos had it. Asked me to go undercover. To take this job, I made sure I only took out criminals, no innocents. I thought I was doing so good.." She paused again. "By the time I found out what I was looking for had disappeared 13 years ago, it was too late. There was nothing I could do. I'd try to run, but they'd find me. And make me kill again. And if they had trouble tracking me down, or I should any hesitation.." Kikyo fell silent.

The train blocked out the sun. The only light came from the space between cars. The resulting flashes of light made a slide show of the emotion of InuYasha's face. Shock. Concern. Sympathy. Acceptance. Anger. Rage. Then nothing. His face became hard and emotionless, saved for a cold determination in his eyes that would frighten anyone who saw it, for it wasn't hard to understand what he was set on. For the first time, Death stared out at the world through InuYasha's eyes. "Kikyo.. Where are they now?" He questioned. Kikyo answered, not understanding what would happen.

InuYasha led Kikyo out from under the bridge. He wouldn't leave her here. He slipped his leather jacket over her shoulders as they walked through the rain. InuYasha led her back toward his house. He helped her lower her bruised body down on the couch in his room.  
He stayed by her side until she fell asleep. Then silently, and without haste, he walked into the garage. If Kikyo had been awake she would of heard the familiar sound of magazines being loaded.

InuYasha slipped on his second skin, the brown leather jacket. As Kikyo lie sleeping on the couch in front of him, he slammed a mag into the Jericho and tore the slide back. The pistol went into a pocket on the inside of his jacket and the mags into a side pocket.  
InuYasha's foot slammed down on the starter and he reared back on the throttle. The Harley roared out of the garage. The bike shot in and out of the traffic lights above it as InuYasha headed down the highway. He knew where these fucks were. No one fucking does that to his Kikyo. Fucking no one.

InuYasha stopped in a unlit lot in front of the address Kikyo had given him. By nw it was late in the night. There was a fence around it, a guard house and man with a gun. That was all the confirmation InuYasha needed. The guard looked up at the shadowy form walking toward the pool of light in front of the gate. The form raised it's right hand. Two shots exploded through the night. InuYasha strode past the dead man in the guard house and shot the lock on the gate off. He pushed it open and headed for the small building ahead of him.

Someone opened the door to the building. His inquiry into the noise was cut short by a bullet. People inside began to scramble for their weapons. InuYasha ducked into the building. People were running everywhere. InuYasha fired twice, hitting one, before dashing out of the door way. He fired at shapes as he ran. Someone screamed. InuYasha turned and fired once more before running into the next room.  
He swung the pistol in an arc over the empty room before taking cover behind the wall next to the doorway. InuYasha stuck his head and the pistol around the corner. The pistol blared twice. He took cover as they returned fire. He leaned into the door way and fired three more times.  
The slide locked back. InuYasha dropped a mag out and slammed a new one home. He released the slide and stepped back into the room. Someone moved in a different door way. InuYasha brought up the pistol and fired three times. The man went down. InuYasha rushed into the room with the dead guy as bullets began to tear up the floor at his heels. InuYasha jumped over a table that had been flipped over. He threw his arm over the table and fired twice into the doorway he had just come from. One of his pursuers let out a howl of pain. A bullet ripped though the table. InuYasha shot a man coming through the door way. More feet sounded in the doorway. InuYasha kept firing. Bullets kept hitting the table. The shooting stopped. InuYasha chanced a glance over the table. The way was clear. InuYasha wearily pushed him self to his feet and walked through the door way. There was one guy left on his feet, a thin man in a three piece suit. Without haste InuYasha shot him the chest. The pistol locked empty again. InuYasha let it hang at his side. There was no sound but the moaning of wounded men. InuYasha calmly reloaded. As the slide carried the next round into the chamber, he heard the man in the suit speak up. "Who"  
InuYasha looked down at him. The man was dying and he knew it. No sense lying to him. "A friend of Kikyo." He aimed and one final gun shot echoed through the building.  
InuYasha left, making sure to pick up the magazines he dropped for later use.

Kikyo woke with a start. She looked around the darkened room. InuYasha stood in the doorway. The shadows couldn't hide the small weary smile on his face or the gun in his hand. "InuYasha.. what the hell did you do?" Kikyo asked, almost afraid of the answer. He smiled a little more and sat down beside her. "I got rid of them. All of 'em. You're free." Kikyo stared in shock. Then in a flash she hugged the youth. "You idiot.. you stupid idiot.." She tried to keep the joy of knowing her tormentors were no more out of her voice and failed. "InuYasha if it were that simple I would of done it myself.. There are more of them. More than I could take on alone." "So? You ain't alone. And don't say I can't help because I just proved I can." A smile spread across Kikyo's face as she realized he was right. "Dear God.. we could do it." She hugged him tighter. "You stupid fucking idiot... thank you." 

"So where are these assholes?" "Reno."

Kikyo threw the edge of a blanket over the boxes of ammo in the Harley's saddlebag. She climbed on behind InuYasha and slipped her arms around him. "Ready?" She asked. "Yeah. C'mon, let's leave this raggedy ass town behind." InuYasha grinned as he turned on to the road to the highway. 


	13. Supplies

A older man in a suit lead a younger black haired man though the Casino floor. The older man explained the ins and outs of cheating people out of their money as they walked. Another man in a suit quickly strode up to them. He leaned over to the older man and said lowly. "We have a problem, one of out assets has gone rouge." "Who?" "A hired gun down in Georgia, Kikyo. We got a tape of someone taking down a distribution point in her name"  
The old man thought for a moment, then turned to the younger man. "This a perfect first assignment for you." He turned to the messenger. "Joe, I'd like you to meet our new guy, Naraku." "  
Naraku shook hands with the messenger. "Joe is it? Well, let's take a look at that tape.."

------------

InuYasha hit the road and headed for state highway when Kikyo called from behind his shoulder. "We gotta stop at the docks first!" "What? Why?" "We gotta pick up some supplies." "We have supplies!" "Six boxes of ammo and five cartons of cigarettes are not supplies!" "I disagree!" "What about food?" "Eh, I have some money, we can buy food." "All the way to Reno? Thank God I thought ahead." InuYasha grumbled and turned toward the docks.

Kikyo directed him toward a ware house in the back of the docks. She got off and instructed him to stay put. "I'll be back soon. They don't let anyone who isn't involved in it inside." "Yeah, yeah, what ever"  
InuYasha watched Kikyo disappear inside and decided to stretch his legs. He wandered over to a small bridge about fifty feet away and leaned against the railing. He stared out at the sea and lit up.  
He heard foot steps as someone crossed the bridge. InuYasha turned to look. Jack was walking along, carring a black bundle of cloth.  
"Hey Jack." "Hey, if it ain't our watchdog. Lookin for more work?" "Not today, I'm heading out of town with a buiness trip." "Business my ass." "Yeah, and your a regular suit and tie guy yourself." "Fair 'nough"  
"So, ya hear what happened to Spillblood?" Jack asked. InuYasha tried not to smile. "Eh?" "Well, we found 'em floating out to sea. Looks like someone took a bat to his head. What I can't figure out, who was stupid enough to mess with 'im, and how the hell did they manage to finally get 'im?" "It was a shovel, actually, not a bat." "Fuck! You were there?" "Somethin' like that.." "Goddamn it all to hell, you killed 'im?" "Eh, he threatened to kill me." Jack laughed. "Goddamn it. You kill the meanest bastard here and shrug it off like it was nothin', fuckin' salty bastard.. I gotta tell the rest of the Ann about this"  
"So, anyway.." InuYasha started. "What the hell are you carrying around?" "This? Oh, the Ann's puttin' out to sea and we needed a new flag." "Yeah? Let me see it"  
Jack proudly held it up. It was a black flag with the skull and bones in the middle. In the middle of the skull was a black shamrock. Two serpents intertwined in the shamrock, and one clutched a dagger.  
"Fuckin' sweet." "Yeah, cost a bit to get it done well, but worth it for moral purposes." "Looks expensive.." "Yeah, well I best be getting back before they set off with out me. See ya round." "See ya round"  
Just as Jack turned to leave, Kikyo stuck her head out the warehouse and quickly waved him over. "What happened to business only?" InuYasha asked stepping inside. "Oh." He said, noticing the pair of feet sticking out from behind a row of boxes. "We've been found out earlier than I thought we would." Kikyo explained. "Shit." "Yeah, so it's not going to be as easy to get there as I thought originally. That changes nothing for the moment though, c'mon, help me move this crap." "What crap?" "This crap!" Kikyo gestured toward a pile of boxes on the table. InuYasha looked over the pile. Some more ammo, alot of MREs, some medical kits, and a case that InuYasha doubted would fit in one of the saddle bags. "What the hell's in that case?" Kikyo walked over and flipped it open. Inside was what looked like the pieces of a rifle. "My Garand won't break down like this, so I had to borrow this one. They custom build 'em for the Army's marksmanship team. Fires a round so big, you can see it split the air." "Sweeet." InuYasha began moving the small packages to the bike as Kikyo found a way to fit the case in.

Finally everything was assembled. "So, how do we get there?" "For now, state highway 15 will get us in the right direction." "Aright, let's roll." 


End file.
